Confused by Stude 2-wire fuel gauge system

sender:

I did you that you've done including dissembly, cleaning, extra ground wires and even a NOS gauge mine - all to no avail. I finally tweaked the wiper a tad to increase it's pressure on the resister. When I bench tested it - it worked - but it would not work installed in my truck. In the midst of my 30th trial and error test I stopped for dinner. When I came back the gauge was working! Before dinner I had hooked up only the center-most wire. All attempts to add the 2nd wire seemed to kill gauge. I taped it out of the way and my gas gauge and I have been happy ever since.

Wayne Lee

If I remember correctly the sending unit(s) measure the resistance. Adding a second ground would defeat it. From what I was told, there is constant voltage going thru the sender. basically the gauge is a VOM reader. I do not remember which way it reads though. More resistance, more fuel or vice versa.

I liked the fuel gauge in my old J-3 much better, a cork on an end of a coat hanger wire. The more wire you saw, the more gas was in the tank. When no wire showed.......SOL.

BG

Testing and wiring is in the 1941-42 Shop Manual if you have that available.

I have the shop manual but it only shows the wiring diagram which does not have enough detail for me to figure this out. I have been trying to avoid disconnecting wires behind the dash but that is probably the next step. If I could just get the gauge to move then at least I will have isolated the problem a little.

I may have missed a troubleshooting section in the manual. I will look again.

I was referring to page 49, in the 'Gasoline System' section. It also appears in the 2R truck manual.